Post by The Hospital for Sick Children

As Toronto prepared to welcome the world for the FIFA World Cup, another kind of preparation was quietly underway at SickKids. For the past year, teams across the organization have been working behind the scenes to ensure SickKids is ready for anything an event of this scale could bring, from infrastructure challenges, crowd surges and injuries, to traffic congestion and staffing disruptions — all scenarios that could impact care. This work, known as Emergency Preparedness, is led by Andrea McCormick, Director of Quality Management and Safety, and Yvonne Howard, Improvement Specialist in Quality and Safety, in partnership with clinical and operational teams across the organization. “Our role in Emergency Preparedness is to ensure the regular business of the hospital continues, regardless of the type of disaster or disruption,” says Andrea. In Summer 2025, SickKids formed a multidisciplinary task force to ensure it’s ready for the international event, working closely with city partners like Toronto Police and Paramedic Services, as well as other health-care organizations, including Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, which is the official Host City Medical Lead. A key part of emergency preparedness is building the structures that support rapid, coordinated responses, like the Command Centre. Formed during a colour code (like a missing patient, infrastructure failure, or external disaster) and staffed by teams from the frontline to Information Technology, it serves as a central hub where information flows in and decisions flow out, enabling coordinated, informed action across the hospital. Emergency preparedness like this isn’t limited to major events like FIFA. “We do this all the time,” says Yvonne, noting that procedures are regularly reviewed and simulations run year-round, giving teams the opportunity to practice in real time. “We need to be prepared for any unexpected incident.” It’s preparation shaped as much by caution as it is by optimism. “We are hopeful that so much of the work that we do is preparing for things that will never happen,” Yvonne says. “We hope that FIFA is just a joyful and celebratory event for the city." As the World Cup continues to unfold, Andrea and Yvonne aren’t approaching it with concern, but with confidence. Confidence in the systems in place, and in the teams across SickKids who are ready to respond, adapt and continue delivering care when it matters most. “There are so many resilient teams,” says Andrea. “Our frontline, especially, are incredible at pivoting when something unexpected happens.”